Cirencester Town FC
The home of football, corporate events, courses and celebrations
Cirencester Town FC
The home of football, corporate events, courses and celebrations
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Cirencester Town got their first win of the season and first clean sheet with a convincing performance away at Redditch United on Saturday.
The Town got off to a great start when for the second week running a Town player came up with a wonder goal with this week it being Tom Etheridge whose brilliant strike within the first minute of the game sailed past a surprised Dean Coleman in the Redditch goal from some 30 yards out. This goal helped settle the nerves after some poor away performances so far this season and from this moment on Town dominated the game.
15 minutes later, and from an Etheridge long throw which caused panic in the Redditch defence, the ball fell to Adam Mayo who was in for the holidaying Jamie Reid and his shot sailed over the bar. Only 3 minutes later Etheridge tried to repeat his wonder strike but this time his shot went harmlessly wide of the goal.
The next chance fell to on-loan Reading striker David Murphy, this time from a corner routine and good ball in from Etheridge but Murphy failed to hit the target. Debutant Jon Else then nearly made his mark on the occasion after a good run down the left when he cut inside and got his shot away which was tipped round the post by the busy Dean Coleman for a Town corner.
35 minutes in and Referee Hobday caused confusion when he blew up early for half time, his error pointed out to him by most people in the ground, he quickly re-started the game much to his own embarrassment!
Adam Mayo then set up Else but this time his shot went over the top and in the last minute of the first half Redditch had their first attempt of the game and their only shot at goal in the entire match when Blenkinsop took advantage of a poor defensive header from Andy Gunn but fired his shot miles over the bar.
Not long after half time and it was Etheridge once again trying his luck from distance with this time Coleman getting across his goal to make a good save. It was all Town at this stage and they should have gone further ahead when Matt Sysum had a free header from another Etheridge throw but failed to hit the target much to the disappointment of the Town fans behind the goal.
Every time Redditch tried to mount an attack the danger was snuffed out by a resolute back four marshalled well behind them by Mike Green in the Town goal. The next chance fell to Andy Gunn when he got on the end of a free kick from James Mortimer-Jones but like his defensive partner earlier he failed to hit the target and the chance went begging.
The second goal did eventually come to settle the nerves when some great interplay between Murphy and Adam Mayo saw Mayo work his way through and drive in a left footed shot which hit the post and the keeper and found its way into the net for his first goal back at the club. Frustration got the better of Redditch and substitute David Adams made a rash challenge on Tom Etheridge and he went into the referees notebook.
Mike Green in the Town goal then saw his first serious piece of action in the 73rd minute when he went full length to tip away a dangerous cross and prevent Redditch getting a foot back into the game.
In the final minute Town nearly made it 3 when an Etheridge corner was headed back across goal by Jon Else at the far post for young debutant from the Development side Mark Ford who had come off the bench, to head at goal but his effort was cleared off the line before the final whistle was blown.
This victory would have pleased manager Brian Hughes after some recent heavy defeats as it was a good solid away performance and a confident clean sheet. With a tough game coming up next week against a Frome Town side who have started very well, he will hope the result and performance will be a stepping stone for better times to come.
Redditch United:
1 Dean Coleman
2 Nicholas Heath
3 Craig Milligan
4 Alex Hickman
5 Danny Miley
6 Ryan Howell
7 Elliott Nash
8 Anthony Robinson
9 David Blenkinsop
10 Phillip Green
11 Les Brown
12 Joseph Harris (On for David Blenkinsop 58 Mins)
14 Joe Adams (On for Elliott Nash 62 Mins)
15 Tesfa Robinson
16 Robert Ager
17 Ross Dempster (On for Anthony Robinson 58 Mins)
Cirencester Town:
1 Mike Green
2 Neil Arndale
3 Richard Mansell (c)
4 Matt Sysum
5 Adam Mayo
6 Andy Gunn
7 Tom Etheridge
8 James Mortimer-Jones
9 David Murphy
10 Mike Tambling
11 Jon Else
12 David Stone (On for Mike Tambling 85 Mins)
14 Ellis Dunton (On for Adam Mayo 89 Mins)
15 William Loughman
16 Mark Ford (On for David Murphy 82 Mins)
Attendance: 276
Referee: Mr P Hobday